 An Early Look at the SEC Part 3 Mississippi State: The Bulldogs got off to an early start for the spring. The center of the line is a concern since the top-two candidates will miss significant spring-practice time (projected starter, J.C. Brignone, was forced to miss early practices to deal with a family matter). Seniors on both sides of the passing game have earned praise this spring, including last-year’s leading receiver, Jamayel Smith (6-0, 183; 33-510, 3 touchdowns), fellow-receiver Co-Eric Riley (6-1, 200) and strong-safeties Keith Fitzhugh (5-11, 206) and De’Mon Glanton (6-1, 190). The passing game was MSU’s Achilles-heel last year (113th, nationally, in ’07), as Smith’s low-numbers attest (33 receptions for a team’s leading receiver?), so a progression this off-season is a “must.” The running game is in good shape with the return of Anthony Dixon, who ran for 1,066 yards and 14 scores last year. Additional solid production is expected from redshirt freshman tailback, Robert Elliott. While injuries and spring competition could change things, the current depth chart lists eight seniors among the projected defensive starters so the Bulldogs will have no shortage of experience on that side of the ball. Both ends are gone but Titus Brown will probably leave the deepest hole to fill. Tim Bailey (6-3, 241), Brown’s likely replacement, has played in 25 games. After serving the country for a year and half in the National Guard, Bailey’s football success would be well-deserved. Even without last year’s starting ends, State’s line should be a strength and surprisingly experienced. Tackle Kyle Love, the lone junior on the projected starting line, started nine games in 2007. He started next to nose-tackle Bowman six times last year. Newcomer Templeton Hardy (Rivals.com’s #11 tackle) could provide immediate depth. Cortez McCraney, the projected starter at left-end, has a great frame and, in fact, his three starts last year were inside as a tackle. Middle linebacker Jamar Chaney and weakside linebacker Dominic Douglas have already combined for 37 starts and tabbed a total of 167 tackles in 2007. Opening games against Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana provide a great chance for newcomers to gel before jumping into their SEC-opener against Auburn, a team which will clearly seek revenge for last year’s loss to the Bulldogs on the Plains. South Carolina: The Gamecocks lost the last five games of the 2007 season and, to reverse that tide, Ole Ball Coach needs to find a true trigger-man to run his attack. Blake Mitchell graduated after earning starts the past three years and, while he was usually dependable, he was also often underwhelming. Chris Smelley (6-3, 216; Sophomore) is the most-experienced of the potential replacements but the talent edge probably goes to Stephen Garcia. Whoever takes over will be glad to see the return of deep-threat Kenny McKinley (77-968, nine touchdowns) and tight-end Jared Cook. Tailback Cory Boyd was a workhorse for the Gamecocks the past two years but he never topped 1000 yards in a season and South Carolina ended as only the nation’s 101st-ranked rushing attack in 2007 (114 yards per game). Boyd’s expected replacement, Mike Davis, is a powerful runner but class-attendance issues assure that he will miss at least one game next year. Two true freshmen (Eric Baker and Kenneth Miles) could find themselves with some early snaps next fall. Injuries to defensive-end Nathan Pepper and middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley impaired the defense last year and they are both due back to the lineup this year. Brinkley’s brother, Casper, was a highly-regarded senior defensive end and team leader whose 13 tackles for a loss will be missed. However, he was the only senior defensive starter in the season-finale which means the Gamecocks have plenty of experience returning next season. They will not, however, have their coordinator, Tyrone Nix, who left to take over the same unit for Ole Miss. Jarriel King is a massive signee (6-7, 285) from the 2008 class with the potential to disrupt things on the defensive perimeter. King’s height could spell trouble for opponent’s passing lanes and he has the bulk to slip inside on certain sets. Tennessee: The nation’s 70th-ranked defense lost both defensive-ends, linebacker Ryan Karl and free-safety, Jonathan Hefney. However, both of the Vols’ starting defensive tackles return, their top-two signees were linebackers (four-stars Gerald Williams and Marlon Walls) and three different cornerbacks return with starting experience. Robert Ayers (6-3, 270) recorded 12 tackles for a loss (4 sacks) as a back-up for graduated end Antonio Reynolds last season. His experience, along with that of Wes Brown (6-4, 256) at the other bookend position, ensures that the Vols defense will enter 2008 with solid experience all along the line. Plus, if the pre-spring excitement being generated about the rising potential of sophomores Chris Walker (6-3, 230) and Ben Martin (6-3, 240) has any legitimacy, then Tennessee could find itself with unlikely depth on the perimeter when 2008 opens. The backfield is young but surprisingly experienced as left corner Brett Vinson and strong-safety Eric Berry (who led the team with five interceptions) both earned starts last year as freshmen. On offense, Tennessee loses two valuable tight-ends (most notably Brad Cottam) and, most notably, quarterback Erik Ainge, to graduation. Still, the biggest loss may have been that of coordinator, David Cutcliffe, who left to take over Duke’s beleaguered program. Cutcliffe’s loss means that everyone will have to learn a new system this spring. Fortunately, for them, new coordinator Dave Clawson (Richmond’s former head coach) is aware that everybody benefits from easing the transition and seems willing to minimize terminology differences. Clawson has been frank in admitting he would like to identify the best two or three skill players and make sure they get the ball in critical plays. Competition to fill those few spots should improve everybody’s skills this spring and off-season. E.J. Abrams-Ward (6-5, 210) is an exciting signee who could make an immediate push for one of those spots. Nobody allowed fewer sacks last year than Tennessee’s line and, much to Clawson’s delight, every starter from the bowl game returns this year. Vanderbilt: The most critical loss for Vanderbilt was Earl Bennett, one of the most productive receivers in the conference the last three years. Yet, even with Bennett, only a dozen teams threw for less yardage than Vandy last year. The problem was that the Commodores had no weapon other than Bennett, who accounted for 39% of the team’s total completions and total receiving yards (75 of 193 completions; 830 of 2,117 yards). Only three other players had receptions which numbered in the double digits (Justin Wheeler edged in with 10) and only two other had more than twenty. There is hope, though, as the top-four receivers behind Bennett all return, including Alex Washington (Bennett’s back-up last year), who caught eight of his nine passes last year in the final two games of the season (against Tennessee and Wake Forest). Chris Nickson, who started last season before a leg injury and throwing-shoulder injury impaired his performance and opened the door for Mackenzie Adams to take over under center, will battle hard this off-season to earn the right to lead the ‘Dores when they kick-off in next year’s early opener, on the road, against Miami of Ohio. Whoever earns the start will lineup without All-SEC tackles Chris Williams and Brian Stamper to protect their flanks. The offense finished 2007 ranked 103rd, nationally, and must improve if Vandy has any hope of bowl-eligibility this year. By contrast, the defense finished last year as the nation’s 16th-ranked stop-unit. However, they lose two linebackers to graduation, including all-conference middle linebacker Jonathan Goff and two year starter, Marcus Buggs, on the outside. The interior of the defense was decimated by graduation with the losses of end, Curtis Gatewood, and both tackles, including three-year starter Theo Harracks. Fortunately, sack-leader Broderick Stewart and Steven Stone return with plenty of experience on the ends (a combined 46 games-played) while cornerback D.J. Moore (who accounted for six picks and 10 passes broken-up last season) leads a talented backfield that returns intact. If strong safety Reshard Langford starts in the 2008 opener, it will be the 35th of his career (he had 42 tackles, two interceptions and 8 broken-up passes last year).
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